JP3294872B2 - Endoscope bending operation device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bending operation device for an endoscope for remotely bending a bending portion formed in an insertion portion, and more particularly to a method for pulling an operation wire through a chain and a sprocket. The present invention relates to a curved endoscope bending operation device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional bending operation device using a chain and a sprocket, a pair of sprockets having the same diameter are arranged at an interval above and below an operation portion, and a loop-shaped chain is engaged with both sprockets. (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No.
No. 32).

[0003]

As described above, when the chain is engaged with a pair of sprockets having the same diameter, the chain is in a so-called parallel state where the two sprockets are arranged in parallel.

[0004] Such a bending operation device is housed in a grip portion of an operation portion. However, in view of ease of grip and operability, the grip portion is formed thinner downward, and an insertion portion is connected to a lower end portion thereof. ing.

Therefore, in a conventional bending operation device in which a chain is hung in parallel on a pair of sprockets having the same diameter, it is difficult to secure a storage space in a lower portion of the operation portion, and the operation portion becomes large and the operability is deteriorated. Had been brought.

Therefore, it is conceivable to reduce the diameter of the lower sprocket. However, if the diameter of the sprocket is reduced unnecessarily, interference occurs during engagement and disengagement between the chain and the sprocket, which does not work.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a bending operation device for an endoscope that can efficiently secure a housing space in an operation portion while using a chain and a sprocket, and can operate smoothly.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, a bending operation device for an endoscope according to the present invention is rotatably provided in an operation portion connected to an insertion portion, and is rotationally driven by the operation means. A sprocket having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the sprocket, and a pulley rotatably provided at a position closer to the insertion portion than the sprocket with an interval between the sprocket and the sprocket. A chain arranged substantially in a loop without loosening so that the pulleys rotate about halfway around the pulley;
A wire connecting member attached to the chain for connecting to a base end of the bending operation wire is provided.

[0009] The portion of the loop-shaped chain that comes to the position surrounding the pulley may be formed by a belt instead of the chain, and the wire connecting member may be attached to the inner surface side of the chain. .

[0010]

An embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows an endoscope, in which a bendable bending portion 3 is formed at a distal end portion of an insertion portion 2 formed of a flexible tube connected to a lower end of an operation portion 1, and an objective optical system is provided at a tip side thereof. A distal end body 4 incorporating a system and the like is connected.

The distal ends of one or two pairs of operation wires 6 (6 a, 6 b) inserted into the insertion portion 2 are connected to the distal end of the bending portion 3. In the figure, only one pair of the operation wires 6 (6a, 6b) is shown.

The grip part 1a in the lower half of the operation part 1 is formed so as to become thinner downward. And the operation unit 1
By rotating the bending operation knob 5 protruding from, one of the operation wires 6 is pulled through the mechanism housed inside the grip portion 1a, and the bending portion 3 is bent.

FIG. 1 shows a reference example of a bending operation device provided in the operation section 1. A sprocket 11 is rotatably provided in the operation unit 1, and the sprocket 11 is driven to rotate by a bending operation knob 5.

The lower part in the operation unit 1, that is, the sprocket 11
At a position closer to the insertion portion 2, a pulley 12 formed to have an outer diameter smaller than the diameter of the tooth root of the sprocket 11 with a space between the sprocket 11 and the sprocket 11.
1 and rotatably arranged on the same plane.

The loop-shaped chain 13 is engaged with the upper half of the sprocket 11 for about half a circumference, and is disposed substantially slackly so as to roll around the lower half of the pulley 12 for about a half, and goes downward. It runs in a tapered shape whose width becomes narrower as the width decreases.

Accordingly, by rotating the bending operation knob 5, the sprocket 11 is rotated, whereby the chain 13 is rotated, and the pulley 12 is smoothly rotated following the rotating chain 13.

The chain 13 is provided with one wire connecting member 15 for connecting to the base end of the operation wire 6 on each of the left and right outer surfaces between the sprocket 11 and the pulley 12.

Each wire connecting member 15 is formed in a cylindrical shape in which a stopper 16 provided at the base end of the operation wire 6 can slide gently, and a hole through which the operation wire 6 is loosely inserted is formed at the lower end. Has been drilled.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, when the bending operation knob 5 is rotated, one operation wire 6a is pulled, and the other operation wire 6b on the loose side is moved by the stopper 16 into the wire connecting member 15. Play, and the looseness of the wire is absorbed.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a first embodiment of the present invention. In the above-described reference example , a portion of the chain 13 formed in a loop shape as a whole at a position surrounding the pulley 12 is shown. Is formed by a belt 23 in place of the chain 13. Therefore, the belt 23 is always hung on the pulley 12.

With this configuration, the diameter of the pulley 12 can be reduced.
In the lower part of the grip portion 1a, a space can be easily secured.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of the present invention, in which a wire connecting member 25 is attached to the inner surface side of the chain 13. FIG. With such a configuration, the traveling position of the operation wire 6 is moved toward the inside, so that a space can be more easily secured at the lower portion of the grip portion 1a.

[0023]

According to the bending operation device for an endoscope of the present invention, the chain engaged with the sprocket on the upper side turns around the pulley formed on the lower side with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the sprocket. Therefore, it can be easily accommodated in the lower part of the operation part which is formed gradually thinner than the upper part, and it is not necessary to increase the size of the operation part, and excellent operability can be obtained.

If the portion surrounding the pulley is formed of a belt instead of a chain, the diameter of the pulley can be reduced and the width of the device can be reduced. Further, if the wire connecting member is attached to the inner surface of the chain, the wire can be reduced. Is moved toward the inside, the width of the apparatus can be further reduced, and more efficient use of space can be achieved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial plan view of a reference example of a bending operation device of an endoscope .

It is a perspective view of FIG. 2 endoscope.

FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partial side view of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a partial plan view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a partial side view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Operation part 5 Bending operation knob 6 Operation wire 11 Sprocket 12 Pulley 13 Chain 15 Wire connection member

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Yoshiki Ito 2-36-9 Maenocho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo Asahi Optical Industry Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shinichi Matsuno 2-36 Maenocho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo No. 9 Asahi Optical Industry Co., Ltd. (56) Reference JP-A-2-102632 (JP, A) JP-A-3-16901 (JP, U) JP-A-59-81315 (JP, U) (58) Survey Field (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A61B 1/00-1/32 G02B 23/24 Practical file (PATOLIS) Patent file (PATOLIS)

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] An operating part connected to an insertion part is rotatable.
A sprocket rotationally driven by the arrangement has been operating means is rotatably disposed in the insertion portion side position than the sprocket at intervals between the sprocket is formed in a smaller diameter than the diameter of the sprocket a pulley, directed towards the pulley by about half engage the sprocket
The chain from which both ends have been pulled out and the pulley are engaged with the pulley for about half a circumference , and are directed toward the sprocket.
Once both ends are pulled out, both ends are almost without slack
A bending operation device for an endoscope, comprising: a belt connected to both ends of the chain; and a wire connection member attached to the chain for connection to a base end of the bending operation wire. 2. The bending operation device for an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the wire connecting member is attached to an inner surface of the chain.